The internal cause is the consistent urinary nature of all invaders. They are busy destroying, looting and burning the occupied areas. What is the purpose of invasion? Isn't it just to grab money, food, and women? The Khitan's "Three Lights" on the Hebei region resulted in two most significant consequences. One was the strong resistance of the Han people, and the other was that the Khitan army became dispersed and its combat effectiveness weakened.
Ma Quanrong reported to the court that according to various intelligence reports, the Khitan army was scattered and sparse, and the participating troops from various tribes were deserting and retreating to their hometowns.
Here, we can briefly talk about the composition mechanism of the "Khitan Army" and understand this paper tiger, which is strong on the outside but capable on the inside: Whether it is the Khitan or other nomadic peoples, even if they have imitated the Han system in the Central Plains and established themselves as emperors and established their country, the tradition of the tribal alliance chief system still remains. It deeply affects all aspects. Although other ethnic groups, tribes, and tribes surrendered to the Khitan, the Khitan emperor was still just an "alliance leader."
To put it simply, the Khitan emperor is the "leading brother" of the grassland tribes. We all have the obligation to follow you south to rob, and we also have the right to plunder the loot.
So when the war is progressing smoothly and there is money to be made for the minions, everyone will continue to obey the orders of the big brother; when the war encounters setbacks and the net profit of the war is not high or even negative, then the big brother is sorry , we still have something to do at home, we will do it next time!
The principle is the same as the vassal towns in the late Tang Dynasty, or you can refer to the "Eighteen princes against Dong Zhuo" in the Three Kingdoms. When making money, they scramble to be the first, and when they lose money, they disperse in a rush.
Every time the Khitan went south, they were in large numbers and with great momentum, but as long as they suffered a defeat, the armies of the slave and vassal states would return to the northern grasslands without hesitation, loving whoever they wanted.
After the younger brothers left, the Khitan troops and horses had to be dispersed in various occupied areas, stationed at strongholds, and divided into plunderers, so the "tens of thousands" army was quickly reduced to pieces.
Ma Quanjie suggested to Shi Chonggui that we should immediately dispatch the army and launch a large-scale strategic counterattack, not to counterattack Xiangzhou and Xingzhou, but to directly attack Youzhou!
Shi Chonggui slapped his thigh excitedly, "What a damn right temper!" So he immediately mobilized the whole country and marched in person.
On the twenty-eighth day of the first lunar month, Shi Chonggui set out from Bianzhou and rushed to the front line of the battlefield regardless of his recovery from a serious illness.
On February 1st, he arrived in Huazhou; on February 2nd, Shengjia went to the front line of Liyang to work for the army. The emperor fell ill and went to fight in person. The soldiers on the frontline were full of enthusiasm and high morale; on February 8th, he arrived in Chanzhou; on February 10th, Shi Chonggui was at home. City inspects the troops.
The military parade in Qicheng is of great significance. The officers and soldiers were moved by the heroic deeds of the martyrs. Shi Chonggui stood on this heroic land and gave an impassioned speech, holding on to his sick body. His morale was high, and he vowed to fight bravely in the next battle, under the guidance of the heroic ancestors, to repay the emperor's favor and make contributions.
On February 11, he ordered the former enemy deputy commander-in-chief Ma Quanjie, military supervisor Li Shouzhen, general Zhang Yanze and others to lead the forward troops to advance first;
On February 12, Fu Yanqing was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the cavalry, Pan Huan was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the infantry, and Huangfu Yu and other generals supplemented the front line;
On February 13, he ordered Zhenzhou Du Chongwei, Ma Quanjie and others to join forces and concentrate their forces to drive the Khitan invading army out of the Central Plains.
While mobilizing troops and generals, Shi Chonggui ordered the construction of a city between Chanzhou and Weizhou to strengthen the strategic depth of defense. Previously, Shi Jingtang built a series of city fortresses between Chanzhou and Weizhou, but they were all destroyed by the Khitan in previous wars.
The generals were ordered to advance one by one, and the Later Jin Dynasty entered a comprehensive counterattack stage. At this point, we also discovered a small problem: Shi Chonggui mobilized troops and generals, but did not assign tasks to Liu Zhiyuan. Liu Zhiyuan, as the head of the "Fifteen Generals of the Liao Dynasty", was marginalized and stood aside when he actually defended the Liao Dynasty.
Regarding this, Liu Zhiyuan had mixed feelings in his heart, so he said to the people around him: "The people of the Later Jin Dynasty were exhausted and feared that they would not be able to protect themselves. They also resorted to militarism, overestimated their own capabilities, and went to war with powerful enemies. Even if they were lucky enough to win, the consequences would be endless. What’s more—it’s impossible for him to win!”
When Liu Zhiyuan said this, first of all, he was jealous of saying the grapes were sour if he couldn't eat them, and secondly, he was self-comforting. At this time, he was very conflicted in his heart. He didn't want Shi Chonggui to win, nor did he want Shi Chonggui to fail. To be precise, he wanted to see the outcome of a fight between the Later Jin Dynasty and the Khitan in which both sides would lose.
If Shi Chonggui wins a great victory and the Later Jin Dynasty completely or temporarily eliminates the threat from the north, then he will become Shi Chonggui's next target. Fan Yanguang, Yang Guangyuan...the voices and smiles of countless ancestors appeared before his eyes. As a direct henchman of the late emperor and a contributor to the founding of the empire, Liu Zhiyuan was bound to be jealous of Shi Chonggui.
Liu Zhiyuan's worries were not unfounded. He repeatedly resisted and disobeyed orders in the first battle. Mao's preservation of strength in Hedong had become a "divorce agreement" between the monarch and his ministers. Now, Shi Chonggui mobilized the power of the whole country and only bypassed Liu Zhiyuan, which has already been explained. Problem.
So Shi Chonggui won, and Liu Zhiyuan's end was coming.
What if the Khitan wins? Will the Khitan tolerate Liu Zhiyuan? Certainly not. Even Shi Chonggui regarded him as a huge threat. Why did the Khitans trust Liu Zhiyuan?
Only when the two countries fight to the death, will Liu Zhiyuan be able to find a rare commodity, and will his Hedong power become a political bargaining chip that both sides must strive for.
In March, Du Chongwei and various troops gathered in Dingzhou, and then launched an attack on Khitan.
While the Later Jin Dynasty was gathering counterattack forces, the Khitan army slowly returned northward under the leadership of Yelu Deguang. When passing through Qizhou to the east of Zhenzhou, the Khitans sent a group of old, weak, sick and disabled people to drive a herd of cattle and sheep, deliberately passing by Qizhou City.
Shen Bin, the governor of Qizhou, fell into the trap and sent troops out of the city to snatch it. The elite Khitan cavalry suddenly rushed out and directly controlled the city gate, blocking the defenders outside the city, leaving the inner city defenders isolated and helpless.
Zhao Yanshou took the lead and personally directed the attack on the inner city. The governor Shen Bin climbed onto the tower and commanded the defenders to resist.
Zhao Yanshou shouted to him to persuade him to surrender, saying: "Master Shen, you are an old friend of mine. In consideration of our friendship for many years, I would like to give you a few words of advice, brother. As the saying goes, choose the lesser of two evils. Now the city is about to be destroyed. , why let your soldiers die in vain? Surrender quickly, and I will guarantee you glory and wealth, and no worries about food and clothing for the rest of your life!"
Shen Bin spat at him fiercely, "Bah! You and your son were just confused for a moment and were trapped in barbarians. But now, you are working as a tiger, leading a group of dogs, sheep and beasts to harm the country of your parents and your brothers and sisters. I am not ashamed, but proud! I would rather die for the country than become a traitor and a lackey like you!"
"You don't know how to appreciate it, just wait!"
